I am interested to see if any EQF Level 6 graduate could successfully enroll into a Masters program at a US university. I am looking at OpenClassrooms (a France-based MOOC that offers EQF level 6 diploma that I am interested in). Just wanted to make sure it can be used for for admission into a US masters degree later. https://openclassrooms.com/en/
I just did a quick search and it seems it will depend on the evaluation following completion of the degree. If a credible evaluation service concludes it meets the standards I don't think you will have any issues. If not, or you don't get it evaluated, you will be fighting an uphill battle.
This is not a "yes/no" question. The short answer is "no guarantees." The Level 6 diploma itself is not a degree - it may or may not be evaluated as equivalent to a degree. If you want to use it in the US, you have to get it evaluated by a NACES member - there are about 20 of them, and their evaluations may differ quite a bit. If the NACES evaluator sees it as equivalent to a US four year RA bachelor's AND the university where you want to earn a Master's feels the material studied fits their prerequisites for the Master's - then you're in. Otherwise - no dice. I used to say "NACES Evaluators or AACRAO" but (I could be wrong here) I believe that organization has ceased to offer a foreign credential evaluation service.
I'm not going to say Yes or No, but this is what I've experienced/found out so far. Firstly, I had my FHEQ level 6 Advance Diploma evaluated by WES, and it came back as 18 upper level credit hours. Secondly, a colleague has a UK 1 year top-up Degree in Business (he had nothing prior to that, and got entry into the program because of his work experience), he got it evaluated by WES as well, and it came back as 20 odd upper level credit hours. he eventually took a Masters from a UK Uni - They accepted him. Thirdly, I found this some time ago - https://mse.isri.cmu.edu/web3-programs/MBA-MSE/Admissions.html This is just for CMU - they might be super selective. I'm sure other universities in the US would accept you into a Masters program if you have a 3 year UK degree. there's that.
I do not think anyone can answer that question with Yes or No. It depends, but I guess the chances are not so great. These two examples, especially the second one, show what I mean. You need an evaluation of your diploma, of course. So, how do evaluation agencies work? They evaluate a foreign qualification on a course by course basis. The person in the second case obviously had the knowledge to complete a top-up Degree in Business, but he has no formal documentation of that knowledge. That's the problem. An evaluation agency evaluates documents. They do not grant credit for work experience. Universities may do that, but the university in that example didn't, they simply accepted him into that degree program because of his work experience, and therefore, he has no document to prove that he has that knowledge. The very same problem - "lack of documentation" - often exists with EQF qualifications, especially at level 6 or higher.
There are other threads on level 6 diplomas with people reporting mixed results. The MOOC cost may be low, msganti, but time spent on the course is valuable. For US use, I'd say it's a real gamble. If you already have a bachelor's, but it's in a different field, you might want to investigate taking a distance Master's at a British Uni. Before you send anybody money for the MOOC, query a UK school or two that offers the Master's you want. Will your (unrelated) degree AND the courses in the MOOC qualify you for entry into the Master's of your choice. You might find the Brits more flexible, providing the MOOC satisfies the subject knowledge required for entry to the Master's degree. Nyvrem's account of a colleague who got into a top-up program based on his work experience and earned a business degree is an example of the flexibility of British schools. Universities over there can, to a larger extent than here, make up their own minds as to an applicant's likely chance of success. For another example, UK-NARIC does not recognize or evaluate degrees from US Nationally Accredited schools. However, British schools are not bound by UK-NARIC's policy and can accept applicants with NA degrees if they feel the person has what it takes. Try the Brits - query them first. You might like them. (I have to - I'm one myself.)
